The Best is Yet to Come
by ifonly13
Summary: The day comes when the entire city can finally collect on their bets regarding a certain homicide detective and mystery writer.
1. Chapter One

_A/N: This was started over the summer and just started talking to me again. This is going to have three chapters, all of which are planned out, all of which will be pure Caskett fluff. You've been warned._

**_Disclaimer: Someday, perhaps. But not now._**

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><p>New York City had just changed colors, green having shifted slowly to burnished reds, oranges, and browns. People were braving the chilly breeze to play with a Frisbee on the wilting grass in Central Park, a father and son tossing a baseball back and forth. A trio of joggers passed her on the sidewalk, the wires of the headphones bouncing with the motion of their feet.<p>

Kate had finally pulled the trench coat from the back of the closet, the weather calling for the extra layer. She had snuck out of the apartment, wrapping the blue scarf around her neck as she took the elevator down. Castle was writing, trying to finish _Heat Stroke_ before next week, so he hadn't noticed her leaving. And honestly, Kate wanted the time alone.

She had been living with a headache for the past few months. People concerned with color schemes, types of linen for the napkins, designs on the silverware, the flowers for arrangements. For the first time since she was a child, Kate wanted to elope. Getting married in jeans and a t-shirt without make-up on suddenly seemed like a much better option than dealing with all these decisions.

The wind had whipped a pale pink into her cheeks, her hair tangled after the two circles around Central Park. Kate hailed a cab from the sidewalk, gave her address, and sat back. The cabbie was humming along to the Celine Dion song on the radio, making the ride downtown a little more amusing.

When she dug in her pocket for her keys, the apartment door was already open. Her hand still in her pocket, Kate found herself squeezed against Castle's chest. "What's wrong?"

"Thank God I found you," he muttered into her hair.

Confused and a little worried, Kate let him embrace her. When he finally released her, she raised a brow at him. "What was that for?"

He closed the apartment door, taking the scarf Kate handed him a second later, followed by her jacket. "What was that for? You disappeared for almost two and a half hours, Kate!" Even though his voice sounded stressed, his hands were steady as he hung the clothing up in the closet. "No note, no text, no call to let me know where you were going. I was just about to call Ryan and Esposito to take out a missing persons report. What were you thinking?"

"Castle, I just went for a walk. I needed to clear my head." Kate threw herself onto the couch, her face buried in one of the throw pillows. "Can't we just run away and get married like all the normal people?"

He sat next to her hip, his hand a gentle weight on the small of her back. "You want to run away and get married? We'll go pack bags now."

She really had nothing to complain about. She didn't have a future in-law that she couldn't stand. She had bridesmaids that were her best friends and would wear whatever dresses she picked for them. She had convinced Castle to keep the affair small.

And she had the man she loved, which was really the only important thing.

"Don't want to run away." The sentence was lost in the throw pillow. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Lanie would kill me if she didn't get her chance to win some sort of bet in the precinct."

Castle tugged a lock of her hair playfully. "I'm pretty sure that bet is city-wide at this point."

With a heavy sigh, she rolled onto her side, the throw pillow hugged to her chest. The emotion in his eyes still staggered her when she looked into them. "We're getting married tomorrow."

"We're getting married tomorrow," he repeated back with a nod, leaning forward and kissing her gently.

"I love you, you know," she said, tugging him onto the couch with her, tangling her feet with his. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Just don't make a habit of disappearing, okay?" he asked, shifting her so she was lying with her head on his shoulder. "My heart can only take so much."

"Deal." She reached up, twisting strands of his hair around her fingers.

"So, what do you want to do for your last night as a single woman?"

Kate pressed a kiss to his neck. "I haven't been a single woman for a long time, Castle. Even when we weren't officially together, we were."

He rolled over so they were both on their side, the couch so narrow they were nearly nose-to-nose. "Details. But really."

"Let's go out to eat. You pick the place; you know all the good ones in town."

"I've got just the place." He pulled her on top of him again, running his hands through her hair before kissing her cheek. "You need to go get changed, then. I know how long it takes you to get ready to go out."

Kate gave him a light slap on his cheek, pushing off his chest to head toward the bedroom. "Careful, Writer Boy. Still a chance for me to back out."

"Wait, Kate! I didn't mean it!" he exclaimed, running after her. "Take as much time as you need because it doesn't matter how long you-"

He ran into her as he rounded the corner into the bedroom. She curled her hands into his shirt, tugging him down for a kiss. "Shush. It was a joke." With a smile, she turned to the closet to find a dress. As she pushed the garment bag holding her wedding dress along the rail, she felt Castle at her shoulder. "You're not getting a peek until tomorrow. It's bad luck."

"You sure you aren't an actress? You're awfully superstitious for a cop," he said.

She leaned against the closet door, crossing her arms and fixing him with a glare. "Want me to use my cuffs on you to prove it?"

"You, Detective Beckett," he whispered into her ear, his breath making her shiver, "are a tease of epic proportions."

"Go get dressed, Castle. Everyone knows you take longer than I do."

"Is that a challenge?"

Kate returned his gesture, using the closet door as support to push herself up to whisper into his ear. "Sure."

Five minutes later, Kate had managed to change from her jeans and long-sleeved v-neck into a black dress, untangle and pin her hair back from her face, and re-apply her make-up. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching Castle debate between two ties by draping both over either shoulder. He was only wearing a dress shirt, the top buttons undone, and a pair of deep green boxers – nowhere near being ready to go.

"Go without a tie, Castle. Obviously you are incapable of accessorizing in a timely fashion," Kate threw out, getting up to take both ties from his shoulders and hanging them up in the closet. "Just get some pants on and let's get out of here."

Once he had completed the ensemble with pants and a jacket and Kate had found a pair of heels, they left a note for Alexis, who was still on campus for classes, and headed down to the lobby.

Eduardo just smiled as they passed by. "Big day tomorrow, children. Don't stay out too late."

"Yes, sir!" Castle replied with a little salute.

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><p>The restaurant was cozy, lit by tea candles on the tables that sent romantic flickering onto the walls. They had been settled into a corner booth, their knees brushing whenever one of them moved.<p>

It was like they were back to being a new couple. They giggled over the bread basket, feeding pieces of rolls to each other. Kate smeared her butter-coated piece over Castle's nose, kissing off the butter before feeding him the nibble.

By the time their dinners came, half the bottle of wine was gone. Kate had slipped her heels off under the table, playfully running her toes up and down Castle's shin and watching his face as he tried to eat the spaghetti and meatballs without gasping. She calmly cut her chicken parmesan into bite-sizes, smiling the entire time.

"You need to stop that," he finally said, waving the quarter of a meatball on his fork at her.

Kate leaned onto the table, biting the meatball off his fork, chewing thoughtfully. "Stop what?"

"Being all seductress-y in public."

"I don't know what you are speaking about, Castle," she replied, tapping her toes against his ankle before letting her feet rest on her shoes. "And, last I checked, 'seductress-y' isn't actually a word." Kate poured out more wine into their glasses, taking a sip of hers with a grin.

Castle ran his hand over his face, shaking his head. "Thank goodness you're vowing to obey me tomorrow."

"We'll see if I remember that little line during vows."

"You're a minx."

Popping another piece of chicken into her mouth, Kate shrugged. "But I'm your minx."

"Of course you are, Kate."

Dessert was passed on with Castle's comment of "I'm planning on having dessert at home in bed" while tossing a wink in Kate's direction. The maitre d' called a cab for them, just shaking her head as they cuddled on the couch in the waiting area, Kate snuggled onto Castle's lap as they waited for the taxi to roll up to the front door.

Somehow, they managed to get back to the loft. Kate vaguely remembered giving Eduardo a peck on his cheek as he called the elevator for them in the lobby. He wished them a good night as the doors closed. Kate danced away from Castle when he made a grab for her before the door to the loft was closed.

"I want to take a tub and go to bed. No funny business. Big day tomorrow!"

She filled up the tub with water close to scalding – he never understood her fascination with burning off a layer of skin and exactly how that was relaxing – but he did appreciate the fact that she was doing the whole thing in just her underwear, the dress tossed over the door. She added a handful of bubble-bath crystals, the iridescent spheres blossoming on the surface of the water.

"You're stunning, did you know that?" he muttered, watching her brush out her hair.

"I've heard it said, yes." She held his eyes as she unhooked her bra, dropping it onto the floor near the vanity, adding her panties to the pile. "You going to join me or are you going to write?"

"Is that even a question?" he asked, suddenly a flurry of activity as he stripped off the jacket and started on the buttons of his dress shirt.

Kate stepped into the tub, tossing a handful of bubbles at him. "I could understand you wanting to spend the night with Nikki."

Once he had slipped into the tub across from her, he slapped his hand on the surface of the water, sending a spray across her face. "Why spend time with fiction when I have reality right in front of me?"

She quickly picked up her leg, flicking water at him from her toes. "You certainly have a way with words, Castle."

"Must be what drew you to me," he said. "That and my charming personality."

A loofa hit his face in the next second. He ducked it under the water, trying to get the bubbles off it so he could get rid of the ones on his face.

"You are a cruel, cruel woman, Katherine Beckett," he mumbled, wiping the shining bubbles off his face so he could glare at her. She was barely holding in laughter. "Remind me again why I'm marrying you tomorrow?"

It took her a minute to regain the ability to look at him without giggling. "Because you love me and I love you, no matter how long it took for us to get on the same page about that."

He pushed off the side of the tub, moving so he was floating over her, his head above hers. "Oh, that's right. Which is why you won't mind when I do this, huh?" A moment after he kissed her, he used one hand to dunk her head under the water.

She came up sputtering, her hair hanging in her eyes. "Richard Castle! You are going to pay!"

The sounds of splashing water and laughter filled the apartment until they had tired themselves out. Wrapped in towels, they curled into each other's arms in the bed, her hair dampening the pillowcase and his arm that she was resting on. Their voices were gone, lost from the hours of screeches and childlike giggles, and he prayed one of them regained the ability to speak before tomorrow.

She was the first to open her mouth. "I don't know what I'd do without you in my life, Castle." It was quiet, still a little hoarse, but he could still hear the emotion in the statement.

He pulled her head to his lips, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Same goes for you, Kate."

"We're getting married in a few hours."

"You're repeating yourself."

Kate sighed, placing her head on his shoulder and hooking her leg of his thighs. "It bears repeating."

When he opened his mouth to respond, he found she was already asleep, her breathing steady. So he spoke into her still-wet hair. "It certainly does."

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><p><em>AN: As I said, two more chapters to come. While I have them all mapped out, school starts again on Tuesday and who knows when I'll get a chance to really work on them (or any of my stories). But they'll be coming when they are completed, I promise._

_Until then, review away! I'm spending tomorrow with the family, an ordeal I don't normally enjoy, so reading reviews would give me a reason to smile and fool them. Give me a hand, okay?_


	2. Chapter Two

_A/N: So, about the episode last night. There are no words. That was definitely one of my favorites of all time. Feel free to chat with me about it via messages - I love hearing other opinions on it!_

**_Disclaimer: Nope, I could not have come up with something as fantastic as Kick the Ballistics was. Not even if I tried really, really hard._**

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><p>Kate sat on the edge of the bed, a towel wrapped around her torso and her hair dripping down her back. Despite the tub last night, she needed the curling steam of a shower to calm her nerves today. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, a bottle of deep blue nail polish squeezed between them as she ran the brush over her toenails.<p>

"Sweetie, you really need to start getting ready."

She didn't look up as Lanie waltzed into the bedroom. "Shush." She capped the bottle, setting it on the bedside table and picking up her phone. Castle hadn't texted in a while; the last one was him arriving at the Central Park Boathouse, meeting up with Ryan and Esposito.

Lanie went to Kate's closet, pulling out the garment bag and draping it onto the bed. "You wearing this to the boathouse or are you going in that ensemble?" she asked, gesturing to the fluffy chocolate-brown towel currently wrapped around her friend's body.

"Didn't I tell you to shush, Lanie. Don't make me regret assigning you as maid of honor." Kate wiggled her toes, drying the polish before she stepped off the bed. "And I'm not wearing my dress until I get to Central Park. The paparazzi don't need to be tweeting Castle that before he can see me in it in real life." She blinked at Lanie, who was in jeans and a sweater. "What about you?"

"Changing at the boathouse."

"So no complaining about me wearing my pajamas on the taxi ride, okay?" Kate picked up her pajamas and headed into the bathroom to change. "Did Maddie say she was meeting us there?"

Lanie leaned against the closed door, tapping out a rhythm on the wood. "Texted an hour ago saying she'd be there."

Kate emerged in a pair of sweatpants and an FDNY t-shirt, her hair still loose around her shoulders. She held a bag of make-up, her curling iron, and a bag of bobby pins. "And Alexis?"

"In the living room, reading. Everyone's ready to go except you."

"I'll be ready in ten minutes," she muttered, pulling out one of her larger purses and tossing the make-up and hair items into it. "Go sit with Alexis before Perlmutter needs to work on you."

"Ten minutes, girl!" Lanie said, closing the bedroom door behind her.

Kate sighed, running a hand through her hair. She was feeling fine until Castle left the loft with a kiss goodbye. Since then, she felt a little like she was on a roller-coaster that wasn't slowing down. The coffee she had been inhaling certainly wasn't helping her calm down. With a deep breath, she re-checked the things in her bag before adding her badge and gun, just out of habit. She hoped she wouldn't need either during the course of the day, but it never hurt to be prepared.

Castle had laughed at her when she mentioned the old wedding adage: _something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue_. She believed his exact words were, "Really, Kate?" with an accompanying raised brow.

But Kate had ignored his mockery and begun thinking of what to use to fulfill the adage. Old was easy. Kate walked over to the jewelry box on the bureau, running her hand over her parents' faces on the top. "Mom, this is one of those moments when I wish you were here more than usual." Kate had tried not to dwell on the fact that her mother wouldn't be with her to button up her dress or do her hair or cry when Kate said her vows. Kate nibbled her lower lip as she opened the box and took out the necklace and watch.

She had her old.

Her new was in a different jewelry box. She had gone out to a department store and found a long strand of pearls with a fake diamond brooch that called her name. She had bought it without a second thought.

Martha was bringing the borrowed to the boathouse. She had shown up a week ago with her own box of costume jewelry, insisting that Kate borrow one of her hair combs for the event.

As Kate placed the jewelry into one of the inside pockets of the purse, she wiggled her toes, admiring the navy blue polish that was her blue. Subtle and nearly invisible, since her heels were peep-toes.

Slinging the purse over one shoulder, Kate dug out the shoe box from her closet, tucked it under her arm, and hooked the garment bag on her forefinger. Lanie jumped up when Kate came out of the study, taking the shoe box from her.

"Let's go! So much to do and no time!" Lanie squealed, grabbing her own garment bag and tote bag and running toward the door.

Alexis was calmer. She placed a bookmark in the novel and set it aside, giving Kate a wide smile. "Need a hand?"

"Lanie's got that under control. You have everything?"

The girl picked up her own bags. "Everything."

They took the elevator down together where Eduardo was reading the morning paper. "Big day, Miss Beckett. You sure you've got the right one?"

Kate smiled at the man, nodding. "I think I'll keep him."

Castle had insisted on the towncar for the day, telling her to splurge a little. So the three of them crammed into the back of the typical black car for the ride to Central Park.

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><p>They had commandeered two of the small rooms in the boathouse as "green rooms," as Martha had put it. And, of course, the men got the smaller of the two, which gave Castle minimal space to pace in. Since Kate and her bridesmaids had arrived, he was forced back into the room after pacing the length of the dining hall for the last hour.<p>

"Is the great Richard Castle actually worried?" Esposito asked from the chair he had tipped back on the hind legs. With practiced ease, he gave Ryan a light punch on the shoulder without upsetting his balance. "See that, Ryan? He's nervous!"

Ryan looked up from twisting his cufflinks into place, shrugging. "Yeah. I was nervous on my wedding day, too. Plus, I knew my bride didn't have the option of shooting my head off. He doesn't have the same certainty. We all know Beckett has a gun and the skills to take off important bits of him."

Castle shoved his hands into his pockets, slipping his pinky through the simple wedding band he had been worrying. "I'm not nervous." When he finally looked up from the ground and saw the stares of incredulity coming from the two, he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. I'm nervous. But she really wouldn't shoot at me, would she?"

Esposito kicked his feet off the card table, sending a few of the poker chips under the chairs. "Depends. What's the wedding band look like?"

"That's what you think she's concerned about?" he yelled, his eyes darting to Ryan. "Was Jenny?"

"Jenny works in fashion. Of course she was all over the ring." Ryan watched as Castle's eyes bugged out a little, then got up, patting him on the shoulder. "But, lucky for you, Beckett isn't Jenny. Let's see it and we can decide if you should be running for the hills, for whatever good that would do you."

Castle glanced at his watch, calculating the time until the ceremony. He hoped that the boys would lose interest, but when he looked up, Esposito had his hand held out, waiting. "Seriously? You're going to inspect it?"

"It'll calm you down," Esposito suggested. "You need approval before you can put it on our girl."

Faced with the logic of the first part of the statement, Castle pulled both of the rings from his pocket and dropped them carefully into Esposito's hand, muttering, "She's not your girl."

"Oh, she's totally our girl. She was our girl before she was your girl," Ryan said, shouldering Castle out of the way so he could look at the rings.

There was silence that had Castle turning to pace again. The two detectives were looking at the white gold bands like they were evidence in an investigation. He wouldn't be surprised if they pulled out gloves and baggies to run further tests on them before the ceremony.

"So?"

Esposito turned back to Castle, Ryan at his shoulder. Their faces were emotionless, like they were facing down a suspect in the box. Then Esposito nodded. "You did fine, Castle."

He felt his body deflate with relief as the detectives handed back the rings and he stashed them back in his pocket. "Good."

"Still, you hurt our girl, no one will find your body." Ryan paused, jabbing a finger in Castle's direction. "Ever."

"Understood."

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><p>Even on her wedding day, Kate was still in charge. She had refused Castle's offers to get someone to do her hair and make-up, insisting that she had done it for the majority of her life and that she could do it today as well. So she had a strand of hair wrapped around the curling iron as she sat, still in her pajamas, in one of the chairs someone had dragged in from the dining room.<p>

Lanie was still worrying like a mother hen, something Kate didn't understand since Lanie hadn't ever done the wedding thing and really had no idea what she was doing. Alexis was out of the room to get the flowers and Lanie had finally decided to go check with Esposito about security, leaving Kate with Maddie, who had been dropped off a few minutes ago.

Since the murder at Maddie's restaurant, the two had reconnected. It seemed natural for Kate to invite her old high school friend to her wedding, insisting that she put on one of the bridesmaid dresses. The pretty blonde had shown up in that dress, her hair straightened from its normal curls, carrying her heels as she navigated her way through the boathouse.

"Kate, let me do that," Maddie said, getting up from her own chair and moving toward her friend.

Kate let her hair fall off the curling iron, waving the curler at Maddie. "No. Listen, I just need to do something normal for right now or I'll go crazy." She combed out another section of hair, twisting it around the barrel quickly, and leaning her elbow on the arm of the chair.

"Hey," Maddie said quietly, moving her chair so she was facing Kate. "Are you nervous just because it's your wedding day or are you nervous because you don't think he's the one?"

Kate's face was a mixture of shock and amusement. She shook her head carefully, patting Maddie's knee. "The first one. I've never been more sure of a thing in my life."

"Okay. Just making sure."

She flashed Maddie a smile just as Hurricane Lanie re-entered. "I found something for you, Kate," Lanie managed to get out before pulling the curling iron from Kate's hand and replacing it with a small white box with a deep blue ribbon tied into a bow.

"What is this, Lanie?" Kate asked, her eyes flickering from the box up to her friend.

It was Maddie that nudged Kate's knee. "Just open it!"

Kate muttered to herself as she pulled the ribbon off. "This had better not be Castle's doing or…" She trailed off when she took the top off, a little white notecard fluttering to the floor. Nestled in the cotton in the bottom of the box was a pair of pearl earrings, tiny square sapphires at the bottom. "Oh."

"Well aren't those pretty?" Maddie said, plucking the box from Kate's hand.

The two girls were busy looking at the earrings as Kate leaned over and picked up the notecard. She smiled when she flipped it over and found it to be one of her business cards that she gave to witnesses with her number at the precinct on it. She wondered how long he had been carrying it around. But on the blank side was his nearly-illegible scrawl.

_I know you have your new and blue already, but who couldn't use a little extra luck._

Before either Maddie or Lanie could turn around, Kate tucked the note into the pocket of her sweatpants, swallowing back tears that threatened to ruin her make-up. The man could be annoying as hell, then completely turn around and do something unbelievably sweet. Never a dull moment.

"Oh my god!" Lanie squealed, pushing the earring box into Maddie's hand and running to Kate. "We need to get dressed!"

"I can dress myself, Lanie!" Kate protested as her friend grabbed up the garment bags and pulled her into the side room.

Lanie shook her head at Maddie before closing the door to the room. "Not the point, sweetie. It's my job."

Not five minutes later, the room was crowded again. Alexis had returned with the flowers. Maddie was live-tweeting from the corner. Martha had swept in, complimented everyone's dresses, and neatly arranged her diamond and silver filigree hair comb into Kate's loose brown curls and giving the woman a kiss on the cheek before exiting. Kate had swatted Lanie's hands away from adjusting the fall of her dress after the photographer showed up to take a few pictures. She had dug her mother's necklace and her father's watch from her purse after fixing Castle's present in her ears, leaving the pearl strand in the pocket.

"Katie?"

She spun around, the lace of the short train of the dress fanning out not seconds after Lanie had fixed it. "Dad."

He had gathered her up in a hug before she could finish the single word. "You look so beautiful, Katie," he whispered into her hair.

Everyone had quieted, even Maddie's non-stop fingers over the keyboard of her phone. The focus was on the duo just inside the doorway of the room, but neither Jim nor Kate felt their gazes. Time had slowed for the Becketts.

"God, you are so beautiful. Just like your mother." Jim felt his daughter's arms tighten around his shoulders, her head burying deeper into his neck. "She'd be so happy for you. She is happy for you."

"Thanks, Dad." Kate pulled back from the hug a little, just enough to look up into her father's eyes. "Actually, I'm glad you're here." She reached over to the table and picked up the necklace and watch, holding them out to him. "Could you do the honors?"

In the hushed room, Jim took the watch, turning it over in his hands. "Katie, this seems out of place at your wedding. Do you really want it in all the pictures and-"

Kate stilled his hands. "Yes. I want it in all the pictures and out there for everyone to see. It's part of me, just like you are part of me. And I don't care if it doesn't match lace or anything else."

"Okay then," Jim said with a light laugh. He fixed his old watch around Kate's wrist. When Kate let the necklace slide into his hand, Jim paused. He ran a finger over the little blue stone set in the silver. Their eyes met as Jim swallowed. Then, he smiled. "Well? You going to turn around so I can put this on?"

She spun around, lifting her hair out of his way. "Careful of the dress."

He gave her a little shove, drawing a smile from her. He was picturing her back at junior prom, hissing the same concern at him when Johanna had gone to clip a necklace onto their daughter. "Don't you worry about your dress," he said, clicking the clasp into place.

Kate reached up, pressing the ring into her chest. She had found a shorter chain so it was visible, not hiding in the vee of her dress. She liked it without the pearl strand she had bought; it gave her mother a place of honor at the wedding she'd never be around to see.

Jim checked his own watch by lifting Kate's arm up. "Looks like it's time. You ready?"

"Yeah, Dad. I'm ready."

"Good," Lanie butted in, handing Kate the bouquet. "Let's get going." The petite woman hustled out of the room, going a million miles a minute.

Maddie followed, giving Kate a quick hug.

Alexis paused, shifting her own bundle of flowers as she searched for the words. "You make him so happy, Kate. And I can tell he makes you happy. Just remember that when he drives you up a wall. Which he will do because it's my father we're talking about."

Kate let go of her father's arm to gather Alexis up in a hug, making sure to not crush either of their bouquets. "Thanks, Alexis. For sharing him with me."

"Gives me someone to pawn him off on when I can't handle him."

The walk from their little room wasn't long or painstaking. Kate could hear the strains of the solo violist, the sound as warm as the afternoon sun on her arms. Just before they rounded the corner to where the groom could see them, Jim tugged Kate to a stop.

"You will always be my little girl, Katie," he muttered softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

With a final hug, Kate whispered against her father's shoulder, "I know, Dad. Thank you for sharing me with him."

"He's the only one I'm willing to share you with. Now, before I start crying, can I go give you away?" he asked, offering his arm.

Kate slipped her fingers into her father's elbow. "I love you."

"Same goes for you."

When they took the few steps to reach the aisle, Jim had the joy of watching his daughter's face light up when she saw the man at the end of the aisle and was pleased to see that Castle's expression was a mirror. Yes, he thought, she picked the right one.

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><p><em>AN: So, what did we all think? I want honest opinions, including critiques. The next chapter is not going to be the ceremony - I don't feel I could do it justice and I don't want to write it just to have written their ceremony. We'll be jumping right to the reception for Chapter Three._

_I'll post photos of the wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses on tumblr and add a link to the post on my profile page if you want to see what I picture Kate and her girls in._

_I'm in classes and meetings all day. The only one I care about is my theatre class at 4pm. Want to entertain me between 12:30pm and then with your reviews? Cause that would be fantastic. And I'd love you for it (which I do anyway, but I'd love you more)._


	3. Chapter Three

_A/N: This one was easy to write. A dream. Enjoy._

**_Disclaimer: Wouldn't it be cool if I were Andrew Marlowe or any of the writers? I think that would be cool..._**

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><p>The first dance. The one dance that every girl dreams about. Prince Charming sweeps the princess off her feet after saving her life, she changes into a gown, and they waltz in a grand ballroom with their friends looking on. Kate Beckett had seen her fair share of fairytales to know that was how the story ended. Sometimes there was a final kiss, then cut to credits.<p>

She didn't care about those stories anymore. She couldn't, not while she had her head cushioned on her husband's chest, fighting him for lead in the dance.

"Just let me lead."

"No. I'm a better dancer than you are."

"Can't you let me be the man for once here?"

"Not when you don't know the steps."

"I totally know the steps. You just need to stop trying to get the upper hand and let me lead."

"Quit arguing. I'm always right."

"Why are you always right?"

"Because I'm a woman. Haven't you learned that, Castle?"

She looked up with her last comment, giving him a little smile. No. Forget Prince Charming and the ballgown. Kate Beckett was more than happy with her mystery writer and simple lace dress. Forget the man saving the damsel in distress. Kate Beckett was capable of saving herself and keeping every hair in place while doing so. Forget the fairytales with their endings, happy or otherwise. She didn't ever want that cut to the credits to come.

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><p>Castle couldn't hear the song the band was playing, an item on the wedding check-list they had fought over. He really couldn't recall which song they had settled on. It didn't matter, because what he had in his arms right now was more important than a song or even the dance steps they argued about. He had to stop himself from staring at the head of brown hair nestled onto his chest, her soft breathing rustling the strands.<p>

He didn't notice the rest of the wedding party slowly work their way onto the dance floor on the enclosed deck. Or, a few minutes later, other couples joining in. But he did hear the band stop playing and the applause that followed.

Immediately, the band swung into a rendition of the YMCA. With Kate's small hand still against his chest, Castle gave her a gentle tug. "Come on. I want to tell you something." She followed him out onto the patio, the cryptic smile on his face enough to draw her in.

* * *

><p>They re-entered the deck in time to catch the start of the Macarena. Kate shook her head when Castle pointed out Esposito and Lanie, who were performing some variations on the typical moves that involved placing their hands on each other's butts instead of their own.<p>

"Castle!"

His head turned, searching for the owner of the voice. Across the deck, a man and woman were sitting, the woman waving her hand.

"Ah, Kate. I've been meaning to introduce you to these two," Castle said, excitement obvious. "Come on!" He grabbed two flutes of champagne, handed them to Kate, then took another pair before walking over to the couple.

As he handed over the flutes to the couple, Castle did introductions. "Andrew, Terri, this is Kate. Kate, Andrew and Terri are old writing friends of mine."

The man had a solid handshake, one that matched the warmth of his neatly-trimmed beard and kind smile. The woman grinned before giving Kate a quick hug, the strands of her russet-brown hair tickling Kate's nose.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet Castle's famous muse," Terri said.

Andrew was nodding. "We'd heard a lot about you. I can see why you were hiding her, Rick. She's a stunner."

Kate laughed when Terri bumped Andrew with her hip and muttered, "You, sir, are very much taken."

The older man nudged Terri right back, rolling his eyes at Castle. "Possessiveness. Must be a muse trait, right?"

Kate was suddenly aware of the fact she had inched closer to Castle, blocking half his body off from the couple. She blinked innocently up at Castle, shrugging one shoulder. "Must be."

"So," Castle interjected. "Any news on the show, Andrew?"

"Actually, we just got the green light," he replied with a grin. "Working on the second episode as we speak."

Kate looked to the other three faces in confusion as there was more handshaking and congratulations. "Show? What show?"

Castle wrapped his arm around Kate's waist, his hand a gentle pressure on the lace. "Andrew and Terri have been working on pitching a television show based on the Nikki Heat books. Think it could become pretty popular since the movies did so well."

"So, annoying journalist follows cop?" Kate asked.

Terri stepped in. "Actually, we're thinking of going with a mystery writer. Add a different perspective to crime solving, you know? Mix up the precinct status quo."

"Plenty of personal experience tells me it does just that." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lanie beckoning to her. "If you'll excuse me, it was nice meeting you both."

Kate took her champagne and headed toward her friend. Lanie looped her arm through Kate's, adding it to the silvery grey shawl she had wrapped around her shoulders.

"What's going on over there?" Lanie asked, nodding her head back toward Castle and his friends as she pulled Kate to their table.

"Talking about a TV show like a bunch of fangirls." Kate didn't sit, her nerves still making her too jumpy, so she just leaned her hip against the table. "Why'd you drag me away?"

"Well, the garter toss is next on the docket and I wanted to make sure you had yours."

Kate gave Lanie a gentle shove, pushing off the table. "Just worry about yourself."

Lanie followed as Kate wandered the deck. "See if I make you my maid of honor if I get married."

"Oh, however will my pride survive?" Kate tossed back sarcastically.

* * *

><p>The bouquet and garter tosses were another wedding tradition Kate wasn't going to let Castle brush aside.<p>

He was sitting on their table, his feet swinging like a child, as she faced him, her bouquet held in both hands. It was a small bunch of forget-me-nots and rosemary flowers tied with a white ribbon. Kate had given careful consideration to the flowers chosen for it. Before tossing the grouping over her shoulder, she pulled out a stem of each flower, handing them to Castle so they could press them once they got home.

"Ready?" Cheers greeted her, rising up over the music. She shifted the bouquet to one hand, bringing it up to her shoulder before releasing the flowers behind her.

She spun fast enough to watch the tussle between Lanie and Maddie play out. Kate reached back, her fingertips brushing Castle's knee. His hand trapped her fingers there, pressing them against his body so he could feel the twin rings on her hand.

"Hey there," she whispered, turning her head to talk over her shoulder.

"Hey right back."

As Maddie waved the bouquet above her head in triumph, Kate squeezed Castle's knee. "Your turn."

Castle hopped off the table as Kate sat in one of the spare chairs. When he turned, Kate gave him a little wink as she slipped off her heels. "Care to do some investigating, Castle?"

"Always, Detective."

He was slowly inching the light ivory lace up over his wife's calf, pressing a kiss to the crease behind her knee when he reached it. Castle laughed against her skin when she shivered. Kate swatted him on the head before he moved on. He was careful to keep the important bits covered as he kissed his way up her thigh. Kate had the joy of watching his face scrunch up in confusion when her dress caught on something.

"Don't slip during the interrogation, Castle. Close the case," Kate teased, bending over to kiss his cheek.

Castle nipped at her thigh, grinning at her little jump, before nudging the hem out of his way. In a blink of his bemused eyes, Kate pulled the squirt gun from the thigh holster and spritzed his hair with the water a few times.

The guests erupted into laughter as Castle shook his head, sprinkles of water spraying from his brown hair. A few droplets landed on his lashes and Kate leaned down to kiss them away. As soon as her face was close enough, though, Castle grabbed her face and planted a searing kiss on her lips. "You'll pay for that tonight."

She gave him a little kick with her bare foot. "Promises, promises. Finish the job."

He teased her with his lips against her thigh as he unsnapped the thigh holster with his teeth, catching it in one hand. Castle stood up, holding the holster in his hand. "Which lucky gent is going to catch my wife's holster?" Turning his back to the group in a similar manner as she had minutes earlier, Castle tossed the make-shift garter over his shoulder. Which Ryan expertly snagged from Esposito's grip. Lanie winked at Ryan, which had Jenny playfully pressing a kiss to Ryan's cheek while Esposito dragged Lanie away to go sit back down.

Kate's laughter had his heart beating faster. Before she could stop, he braced his arms on the seat beside her and kissed her. Her hands came up, threading through his slightly damp hair, pulling him closer. With his mouth still on hers, Castle muttered, "God, only you, Kate."

"You loved it."

She used his shoulders to get up, ruffling his hair so it was standing up in little spikes. "Let's cut the cake, okay?"

The cake was a simple affair, reflecting the overall mood of the wedding. Three round tiers were covered with white fondant, a thin navy band at the base of each layer. The only thing that screamed out the fact that Richard Castle had been in charge of that aspect of the wedding were the two small figurines that leaned against the top tier. They weren't the stereotypical bride and groom or even stylized initials. Instead, sculpted from fondant, each barely larger than Kate's thumb, was a little badge and notebook, propped against each other.

Those had been surprise additions to the cake, items Castle had slipped on after showing Kate the cake before everyone moved to the deck for the reception. When she saw them now, the long knife in her hand, Kate battled between amusement and the idea of turning and just letting the knife slip into her husband's side. He wouldn't die – she knew where the major arteries and organs were and there were plenty of cops around to stem the blood loss – but he'd suffer on the ride to the emergency room.

But how could she stab him when he had that twinkle in his eyes that hadn't faded since the ceremony? Because putting the knife through his side would probably erase that expression of love that spoke volumes without using actual words. Then again, it was Castle. He'd just tug her closer for a kiss, mutter how sexy he thought that was, and then throw a dramatic fit on the way to the hospital.

So Kate went with her second option. Placing the knife on the table, she hooked her forefinger in the waistband of his pants and pulled him toward her. "Cute," she said before giving him a peck on the lips, ignoring the flash of the photographer's camera.

"I thought so," he replied smugly. "Now, are we going to cut the cake or just stand here?"

She picked up the knife again, letting his hand wrap around hers. Kate avoided cutting up the badge and notebook, guiding the knife to the bottom layer, slicing through the cake carefully. His body right behind her felt warm on the expanse of bare skin exposed on her back. With a little grin, she elbowed him lightly as they repeated the cut another two times, placing the slices onto the crystal plates.

Kate licked the fondant off her thumb as she held the plate. There was a dangerous twinkle in his eyes that had Kate narrowing her own eyes. "No funny business, Castle."

"Me? Never."

She broke off a piece of the cake as he did the same. With a final warning look, they traded pieces of cake. But Castle couldn't resist the impulse to do something to get back at her for the holster joke. Seconds after they shared a kiss flavored by sugar and cocoa, Castle swiped a finger across the cake and smeared frosting on Kate's nose.

He completely ignored his wife's glaring eyes as he kissed her nose. "Payback."

"See who's getting lucky tonight," she replied. "Because it isn't you."

As the crowd thinned out, most heading to get their own dessert, Castle moved his mouth right against her ear, his breath a warm breeze that made her shiver. "I'll make you change your mind."

"Dare you."

He shifted his head to the side, kissing the spot where her cheek hit her ear. "You're on, Katherine Beckett."

"Bring it, Richard Castle."

They were interrupted by the gentle clinking of a knife against an empty wine glass. "Toast time, love birds," declared Esposito. "Sit down so we can embarrass you."

Kate laced her fingers through Castle's, leading the way back around the table to sit.

"And so begins the most painful part of the event," she heard him mutter.

In one quick movement, she spun and pressed a hot kiss to quiet him. "Oh, you love it. At least half an hour of people talking all about you. Your dream come true."

He pulled her back against him, her long body pressed against his. "Shush, you."

Esposito cleared his throat, raising his brows at them. "You two quite done now or should we all leave for a few minutes?"

"No. By all means, Esposito. Carry on," Kate said, sitting back at her spot but shifting her chair closer to Castle's so she could lean against his side. "This should be good," she whispered as each member of her team stood up and began regaling the guests with stake-outs gone wrong, scandalous undercover operations, and precinct mishaps.

"You were wrong before," he mumbled back, so quietly that she could hardly hear him over Esposito. "About being talked about as my dream come true." She turned her head, a completely puzzled expression gracing her face. He smiled, just a tug at the corners of his mouth. "You're my dream come true."

Kate gave him a little kick under the table. "Better be careful there with all this sentimentality. Your readers will get confused when you replace mystery with romance." She waited until he draped his arm over the back of her chair before biting at her lower lip, trying to calm the flipping of her heart. Glancing at Castle's profile, she nodded. He was her one-and-done and she was his third time charm.

And tonight was just the beginning.

* * *

><p><em>AN: This isn't the end. I know I said three chapters, but there's one scene I really want to include and it deserves to stand alone. So, stay tuned for an epilogue._ Once the epilogue is up for The Best is Yet to Come, I'll be back to Bringing Up Baby. I couldn't work on both at the same time - the whole timeline in my mind was mixed up when I jumped from the wedding to Kate and Castle chilling with their newborn.__

_And we got more than a little meta in there, didn't we? It hit me in that weird moment when you are sort of awake, but still dreaming and it stuck with me. Took me forever to get it right - I wanted to do it justice. (If you don't know what part I'm talking about then we have a problem.) That's the scene I'm most concerned about in this chapter - the rest was easy. Feedback on my extreme meta-ness would be welcome, though I will forever think that I just did the coolest thing ever no matter what you all say._

_Reviews would be lovely._


	4. Patience

_A/N: You'll be able to tell where this fits in the last chapter with some quick detective work. And since Kate Beckett has trained us all, it shouldn't be too hard._

**_Disclaimer: Since I'm still squealing over Andrew Marlowe and Terri Miller's interactions on twitter tonight, I'm probably not one of them. Actually, I'm definitely not one of them._**

* * *

><p>The strains of the Village People drifted into the night but they didn't reach the corner of the patio that Castle lead Kate to. She had shed her heels at the doorway, wanting to feel the wood beneath her feet and afraid the heels would get caught in the boardwalk-style floor.<p>

They had left the ceremony area decorated even after they moved into the enclosed deck for the reception. Little white lights were looped around the railing, the twinkles of light reflecting back up at them from the black surface of the lake. Castle called them fireflies, Kate insisted they were the stars that were never visible in the city. Both agreed the lights were romantic.

Castle stopped suddenly, spinning her against the polished rail and catching her in a kiss Kate felt in her toes. As he pulled back, she unconsciously followed, searching for more. Castle gave her a final peck as he gently tugged on a strand of her loose hair.

"I'm still not sure you're really here. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and not see this," he said, brushing a hand down her shoulder, skimming over the little sleeves of her dress.

"Hey," she said softly. "You're stuck with me."

With a finger under her chin, Castle tilted her head up to meet his eyes. "A sentence I'll take without complaint. Same goes, you know."

She pushed up on her tiptoes, shorter without her heels, and whispered against his lips. "I'm not going to be pleading down to a lesser sentence. You love me."

The simple statement had Castle's knees buckling a little. They had traded 'I love you' many times, but never before had she declared his love for her in such plain words. He pressed his forehead against hers. "Guilty as charged."

"They'll be looking for us." She stated it, not making a move to return to the deck. Instead, she reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her body against his, resting her head on his chest. Kate felt his hands settle at the small of her back, warm heat through the lace in the cool of the autumn night air.

He murmured against her hair, "Probably. We are the stars tonight."

"What did you want to tell me?"

"It's been said already."

He wasn't prepared for his ear to be attacked a second later. Pride had Castle holding in the whimpers as Kate tugged on his lobe. "What?" he hissed through the stinging pain.

Kate had a sly smile on her face as she brought it an inch closer to his. "What's been said?"

"I love you." The hand dropped away from his ear and he rubbed the offended body part. "That's all. I love you."

She blinked.

"What? You expected more?"

Kate shook her head, taking a step back toward the patio. "Just… it's nice. No flowery words or poetic prose. Straight forward. No mystery to solve." She heard him start walking behind her and pulled his same trick. She spun, using her body to back him into the railing. In the midst of his surprise, she stepped her bare feet between his dress shoes and kissed him. "I love you back."

This time, he took hold of her hand and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist, feeling her pulse quicken under his lips. Castle laced his fingers through hers, pulling her back to the reception, the YMCA winding down.

Everything that needed to be said had been spoken. The rest didn't require words.

Until he ruined it with, "I really want cake."

She gave him a playful pinch on the skin between his thumb and forefinger before slipping her shoes back on. "Patience."

"I'm the king of patience. Look how long I waited for you. It paid off."

"It always does."

* * *

><p><em>AN: There's the end of "The Best is Yet to Come." Some further detective work will tell you this scene has been mentioned before in another one of my stories. You get brownie points and a gold star if you can tell me which story and chapter._

_I'd love feedback on the wedding. I'm always nervous to take on typical scenarios for our dynamic duo, so comments are always welcome._


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